Turkey is burning
Written by Sukeerthi and Chandan
Turkey’s southern coastline is burning. On the wooded hills of Antalya’s Manavgat district, plumes of thick smoke appear in the sky one after another as each time a forest fire is brought under control, another seems to ignite. This, many believe, is just the latest sign the world is entering an era of climate crisis, and Turkey is not prepared for it.
Devastating wildfires have torn through forests and villages, killing at least eight people and burned through huge tracts of land. Over the past six days, 132 destructive blazes have raged through southern and other parts of Turkey, killing eight people and burning at least 118,789 hectares of land, according to the European Forest Fire Information System. While controversy is rife, with many in Turkey believing the fires are the result of “sabotage” – a theory encouraged by many politicians – they coincide both with months of severe drought and extreme temperatures.
Wildfires are common in Turkey’s Mediterranean and Aegean regions during the arid summer months, although some previous forest fires have been blamed on arson or outlawed Kurdish militants.
On July 20, Turkey recorded its hottest ever temperature at 49.1 (120.38 Fahrenheit) degrees in the southeast. The wildfires are the worst of their kind in at least a decade, with nearly 95,000 hectares (235,000 acres) burned so far this year, compared with an average of 13,516 at the same point in the years between 2008 and 2020.
Planes, firefighters and forestry workers battled tirelessly to control flames that, like a trick candle, kept reigniting.
Over the weekend, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other government ministers visited communities destroyed by the fires to inspect the damage and offer their condolences. “We will continue to take all necessary steps to heal our nation’s wounds, compensate for its losses, and improve its opportunities,” said Erdogan, as he promised that the government would provide financial support to those affected. The measures announced included covering rents and postponing taxes, social security and credit payments, as well as offering credit with zero interest to small businesses.
But people have criticized Turkey’s government for its handling of the disaster, in particular, due to a lack of firefighting planes in the country.
Erdogan's government has also been accused of compromising firefighting efforts by allegedly refusing help from Western nations during the early stages of the fires. But official said the government had only refused offers for small water-dumping planes. Teams of volunteers gathered to offer support to the displaced, including members of Antalya’s Communist party, who have been visiting affected sites since Thursday to donate clothing, food and cold water.
However, the cause for wildfire is still under investigation and no proper evidence has been discovered yet claiming the actual cause.